Pear CEO Corey McCann spoke about the
company’s technology. The conversation has
been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Pear sells the first software programs that
require a doctor’s prescription. What happens
after a patient downloads a product like reSET?
A: The prescription unlocks the product for
12 weeks of continuous access. And during
that 12 weeks, I interact with the products
to report my cravings and triggers. All of
that goes to my physician and really helps to
reinforce the physician-patient interaction. I
also complete a set of modules of what’s called
community reinforcement approach, which
is a very specific type of neuro-behavioral
intervention for addiction. I complete four of
those modules per week so that’s about 30
minutes of engagement. As I’m completing
those modules I receive rewards that
incentivize me to continue participating with
the software.
Q: Many of us have experienced the addictive
nature of apps like Facebook or Twitter. Is this
technology similar to that?
A: It’s well known that addicted patients
respond very favorably to what are called
variable reward schedules. So our program
is a highly engaging mechanism for patients
with substance use and opioid use disorder.
What we’re finding is that all of these different
patient populations interact with technology
and are engaged in entirely specific ways. What
technology has done prior to Pear is to look at
the way that healthy, normal people like you
and I presumably interact with technology.